Ground-Breaking New Lawsuit Against Monsanto

Monsanto faces yet another lawsuit. Unlike the thousands of people who have been involved in recent lawsuits against the corporate pesticide giant, this one is different. That’s because 46-year old DeWayne Johnson who has received a cancer diagnosis and has been advised he has only months to live is taking a unique approach to suing the corporation.

In the past, lawsuits have attempted to establish that RoundUp causes cancer, which Johnson, a groundskeeper, is also doing but he’s added a ground-breaking allegation to his lawsuit: he claims that Monsanto has been involved in a lengthy coverup to showcase its glyphosate-containing products are safe when they may not actually be. So, beginning on June 18 Monsanto faces allegations that it has spent decades hiding information linking its products to cancer.

And, the judge trying the case, Judge Curtis Karnow, has issued an order insisting that jurors not only consider possible causes of Johnson’s cancer, but also consider whether Monsanto has suppressed evidence of the risks of using its weed killing products.

During earlier lawsuits by thousands of people suffering from lymphoma, the court opened previously-unsealed documents that showed Monsanto’s own internal emails and other documentation indicating that the company may have faked the safety of their products. Now, in this new lawsuit, DeWayne Johnson will use his potentially final months to fight cancer and the company that brought us Agent Orange, DDT and Roundup, and now potentially deceptive corporate practices.

According to EcoWatch, the information gleaned during that lawsuit against Monsanto, people suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma suggested possible collusion between Monsanto and the US EPA. Among the documents, long-time toxicologist at the EPA, Marion Copley had stated after reviewing the research: “It is essentially certain that glyphosate causes cancer.” Yet, those in positions of power seemed to ignore her science-based claims, allowing the continued sale of the pesticides.

She also accused one of the high-ranking executives at the EPA of having “intimidated staff” to change their reports to ones that showcased the pesticides in a more favorable light. Sadly, Copley died of breast cancer the following year but her correspondence is becoming increasingly relevant as this new lawsuit begins next month.

Here’s some of the back story and timeline:

1985—33 years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that Roundup is a Class C carcinogen that might cause cancer.

2015—The World Health Organization concludes that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen.

2018—The EPA still allows the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of glyphosate-based pesticides, including Monsanto’s Roundup.

As you can see, glyphosate was established as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015—a decision its International Agency for Research of Cancer reached after an expansive review of approximately 1000 studies.

Not only have glyphosate-based pesticides been linked to non-Hodkin’s lymphoma—cancer of the lymphatic system, they’ve also been linked to genetic damage to humans. Additionally, they have also been linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and autism, infertility, miscarriages, birth defects, chronic kidney and liver diseases, diabetes, heart disease and hypothyroidism.

According to the Organic Consumers Association, Monsanto’s own research shows that glyphosate exposure is linked to many forms of cancer in humans, including: cancers of the pituitary gland, brain, heart, lungs, salivary glands, lymphatic glands, prostate, bladder, thyroid, adrenal glands and skin.

Regardless the outcome of the upcoming lawsuit, I’ll be marking June 18 on my calendar as DeWayne Johnson Day—the day a single groundskeeper begins his David and Goliath-style battle to eradicate possible corporate corruption and the lives it may be costing.

Thank You. From the article: " Regardless the outcome of the upcoming lawsuit, Iâll be marking June 18 on my calendar as DeWayne Johnson Dayâthe day a single groundskeeper begins his David and Goliath-style battle to eradicate possible corporate corruption and the lives it may be costing. "

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